MARINA – Joby Aviation announced a partnership with Virgin Atlantic that will see Joby’s air taxi used in Virgin’s short-haul service to get its customers to airports and cities throughout the United Kingdom.
Joby Aviation, which has been doing business in Marina for about the last seven years, is developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi designed to carry a pilot and up to four passengers at speeds up to 200 mph, offering high-speed mobility with a fraction of the noise produced by helicopters and zero operating emissions.
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Virgin Atlantic is a premium long-haul UK airline that was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984.
The partnership, announced last week, builds on an existing agreement between Joby and Delta Air Lines – which owns a 49% stake in Virgin Atlantic – to launch service in the U.S. and U.K. The Joby/Virgin partnership means Virgin Atlantic customers will be able to reserve a seat on Joby’s aircraft through Virgin Atlantic’s app, website and other channels.
The Joby and Delta partnership to deliver home-to-airport transportation service to Delta customers starting with those in Los Angeles and New York, was announced in October 2022 at an event in Marina. While the Joby/Delta partnership is mutually exclusive across the U.S. and U.K. for at least five years following commercial launch, the partnership has been extended to include Virgin Atlantic in the U.K.
“As a leader in sustainability and with innovation firmly in our DNA, we are delighted to be partnering with Joby to bring short-haul, zero-emission flight to airports and cities throughout the U.K.,” said Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic, in a press release. “Our strategic partnership combines Joby’s expertise in design, engineering and technology with the power of Virgin Atlantic’s brand and award-winning customer experience. We look forward to working together to bring Joby’s service to the UK and to deliver greater connectivity for our customers.”
The Joby/Virgin partnership aims to offer seamless, zero-emission, short-range journeys across the U.K., starting with regional and city connections from Virgin Atlantic’s hubs at Heathrow and Manchester Airport. Virgin Atlantic will support Joby’s go-to-market efforts in the U.K. through marketing the service to their customers, engaging regulators alongside Joby and helping to build support for the development of landing infrastructure at key airports.
“Virgin Atlantic’s commitment to delighting its customers reflects our experience with Delta and we couldn’t imagine a better partner to work with in the U.K.,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, in the release. “Together, we are committed to delivering faster options for mobility across the country, including for Virgin Atlantic and Delta customers as they head to the airport or move between U.K. towns and cities.”
Joby’s electric air taxi utilizes six tilting propellers that allow it to take off and land vertically with a fraction of the noise produced by today’s helicopters. The aircraft is optimized for rapid, back-to-back flights and is expected to be deployed on routes of up to 100 miles. Joby has completed thousands of test flights, including exhibition flights in New York City, Japan and Korea.
Last month, Joby Aviation reported it had made record progress on the fourth of five stages required for commercial passenger service in the U.S. and expects to carry its first passengers later this year or early next year.
Joby Aviation launched production of its aircraft at its Pilot Production Plant in Marina with the first aircraft rolling off the line in June 2023.
In April 2024, with the second production prototype aircraft to roll off its pilot production line as a backdrop, Joby broke ground on its new 220,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Marina Municipal Airport, which is expected to begin operations in 2025. The expansion will more than double Joby Aviation’s total footprint in Marina where it also has its integrated test lab and flight-testing capabilities, and enable it to deliver 25 aircraft a year.
In June 2024, Joby successfully completed a flight above Marina of its first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric technology demonstrator aircraft. Joby’s hydrogen-electric demonstrator is part of the company’s future technology program and is the result of several years of collaboration between a small team at Joby and H2FLY, Joby’s wholly-owned subsidiary based in Stuttgart, Germany. The converted Joby aircraft previously completed more than 25,000 miles of testing as a battery-electric aircraft at Joby’s facility in Marina.
Along with its operations at the Marina Municipal Airport, Joby Aviation has offices and workshops and is headquartered in Santa Cruz, as well as facilities in San Carlos, Washington, D.C., and Munich, Germany. In September 2023, Joby chose Dayton, Ohio, as the site for its new manufacturing plant.